Piano-action



PIANO ACTION.

. (No Mod No. 498,815. Patented June 6, 1893.

lul'n W, J/"DI M,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL R. PERRY, OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

PIANO-ACTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 498,815, dated June 6,1893.

Application filed July 8,1892. Serial No. 439,434. (No model.)

.To all whom it ntcty concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL R. PERRY, a citizen of the United States,residing at SCIZL11- ton, in the county of Lackawanna and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPiano-Actions, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, which will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The objects of my invention are: first, to provide a device whereby thefriction between the seat on the bottom lever and the end of the jacklever is decreased so as to allow of the parts moving freelyandsmoothly; second, to provide a device to guide and control the jacklever and connected parts by the bottom lever; third, to provide aspring device for the purpose of gradually disconnecting the parts atthe proper time, together with the combinations effected by the above,and fourth, a device consisting of a screw and plate attached to thedowel or stud fastened into the rail whereby the hammer butt and othermovable parts of the action may be secured to the said studs and easilyremoved or adjusted, all of which are illustrated by Figures 1, 2, 3,and 4.

In Fig. 1, A represents the key, B is the bottom lever, O is the actionrail, L the damper lever and m the hammer; all of which are common andusual to actions generally.

Between the bottom lever B and the jack lever (D see Fig. 1) I interposea piece of brass I or other suitable metal. This piece of metal may besecured to the bottom lever B on the surface N, or it maybe fastened tothe lower adjacent surface of the jack lever D as shown in Fig. 2,letter O. In case the metal is secured to the bottom lever B theadjacent end of the jack lever D is covered with buckskin or othermaterial suitable to deaden the shock,but in case the metal is fastenedto the lower end of the jack lever as in Fig. 2, letter 0, then thesurface H of the lever B is covered with buckskin. The piece of metalmay have a part turned up at right angles as shown by letter I in whichcase it together with the wire hook II holds the cushion,against whichthe lower end of the jack lever D rests.- The object of placing thebrass between the end of jack lever D and the bottom lever B, is tosecure a surface which may be polished to allow an easy separation ofthe parts, and which by the action of the buckskin on the metal willkeep the metal smooth and clean. Attached to the bot-tom lever B is awire hook H. This is bent backward and is allowed to pass through andbeyond the lower cushioned slot p of the jack leverD. This hookis placedupon the lever B for two purposes; first, as a guide to the jack leverD, and second, as a stop regulating and prescribing the movement of thejack lever; thus preventing said lever from going too far down into therecess R in the leverB and also serving to pullback the hammer in caseit becomes sluggish from any cause, when the pressure is removed fromthe key.

Fig.3 represents aface view of the jack lever D showing the slot 1) andits bushings. The lever D is formed with a tongue S and said tongue isadjusted by means of the screw 25 toward the rail 0 or its equivalentstrip K, for the purpose of checking the hammer after the stroke ismadej I do not claim this manner of checking the hammer as new, nor do Iclaim the method as shown in Fig. 2, by the use of the post IV and itsmetal strip X as new, but I do claim these regulating devices in generalin combination with the parts that are new.

The strip K is here called an equivalent as it may be dispensed with bythickening the rail 0, or by contracting the parts of the action so asto bring them nearer to the rail.

To the upper end of the jack lever D, I fasten with a screw as shown orin some other substantial manner, a thin strip of metal This strip orarm of metal is flexible toward the screw and cushion on the strip F,audits action is entirely different from that of the arm placed on thelong link 6 shown in Fig. l, in a patent granted to me February 16,1892, No. 468,918. In the patent just quoted the arm 6 is rigid, and itseffect upon the links is immediate and positive, while in this case theflexibility of the spring arm E allows of a certain amount of contactbetween the spring arm and the regulating button before the jack leveris moved off its seat at on the bottom lever B. Thus the spring arm maybe so nicely adjusted as to act upon the hammer as a retarding spring tokeep it from rebounding and acts to keep the adjusting device S againstthe breast of the rail 0 or its equivalent K. The spring arm is shown inanother position in Fig. 2 in which case itis operated upon by the metalstrip X and its effect on the jack lever is the same.

The operation of the parts is as follows: When the forward end of thekey A (not shown) is depressed all the mechanism on the lever 13 movesupward. The hammer moves toward the string 4) and the damper lever Lmoves away from the string. The spring arm E on the jack lever D may berequired to come in contact with the buffer on the rail F when thehammer head is within say three quarters of an inch (seelineiin) of thepiano string V, at which point the spring arm exerts some slightpressure to force the parts downward, and to remove the lower end of thejack lever D from its seat on the lever B at n. This latter object isnot attained owing to the flexibility of the spring until the hammer isnearly in contact with the string, at which time the jack leverD isforced from its seat and its checking tongue S comes in contact with thestrip K on the rail 0. The flexibility of the spring arm E new acts tokeep the jack lever D against the check strip K and also to retard therebound of the 11ammer m toward the string, and the slot 19 in the jacklever D is so cushioned that the wire hook II retards the movementdownward; and when the key is released the hook also tends to pull downthe whole mechanism should the parts become sluggish through dampness.The spring J acts to reseat the jack lever D upon the brass I ready forthe succeeding stroke.

The dowels Fig. at are to be placed in holes in the action rail, formingstuds upon which the movable parts are hinged. The new feature is aplate and screw placed upon one edge by which the movable parts aresecured, and which allows of ready adj ustm cut and removal.

In the foregoing a piece of brass is mentioned as suitable to beinterposed between the bottom lever B and the lower end of the jacklever D.

I do not confine myself to the use of brass or other metal. Suchmaterial as ivory, celluloid, hard rubber, or any substance capable ofpresentinga smooth surface upon which the parts may move can be used.

WVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

1. In a piano action the bottom lever provided with a hook,substantially as set forth.

2. I11 a piano action the combination of the bottom lever provided witha hook, as set forth with the key, the jack lever and hammer buttasspecified.

The combination of a piece of brass or other suitable materialinterposed between the lower end of the jack lever D and the seat a onthe lever B, as specified and for the purpose named.

4. In a piano action the bottom lever pro vided with a plate of brass orother suitable material as specified.

5. In a piano action the combination of the jack lever, the plate ofbrass or other suitable material interposed between the jacklever andthe bottom lever, substantially as set forth.

6. In a piano action the jack lever provided with a slotted and bushedhole in combination with the bottom lever carrying a hook as specified.

7. In a piano action the jack lever provided with a regulating device,as S, said device adapted to come in contact with the breast of theaction rail or its equivalent as specified in combination with thebottom lever provided with a hook substantially as set forth.

8. In a piano action the combination of the key, the bottom leverprovided with a hook as set forth, the jack lever carrying an ad justingdevice, as S, a spring, as J. the action rail, the hammer butt, anddamper lever, substantially as described.

9. In a piano action the combination of the jack-lever carrying a springarm, with a regulating rail F and its adjusting screw, as set forth.

10. In a piano action the combination of the piano key, the bottomlever. the jack lever provided with a spring arm, a regulating rail andits screw, as F,the hammer butt, the action rail or its equivalent, andthe damper lever, substantially as described.

11. In a piano action the combination of the piano key, the bottomlever, the jack lever provided with a regulating device, as S, theaction rail or its equivalent, the jack lever carrying the spring arm, aregulating rail F. and its screw, a spring, as .I. the hammer butt anddamper lever as specified.

12. The dowels or studs provided with a plate and screw as shown and forthe purpose set forth.

13. In a piano action the combination of the jack-lever carrying aspring arm, a regulating rail and its screw, as F, a regulating device,as S, carried by the jack lever, and the breast of the action rail orits equivalent, substantially as set forth.

14. In a piano action the combination of the jack-lever carrying aspring arm, with a regulating device to throw the said jack lever towardthe breast of the action rail or its equivalent, substantially as setforth.

15. In a piano action the combination of the bottom lever, the jacklever carrying an adjusting device, and a piece of brass or othersuitable material interposed between the bottom lever and the jack leveras set forth.

16. In a piano action the combination of the piano key, the bottom levercarrying a hook, a piece of brass or other suitable material interposedbetween the bottom lever and the jack lever, the action rail or itsequivalent, the hammer butt, the damper lever, the j aek lever carryinga spring arm and a regulating device, as S, a spring, as J, with adeother suitable material interposed between vice for throwing the jacklever toward the the lower end of the jack lever and the upper actionrail or its equivalent, substantially as surface of the bottom lever incombination set forth. with a regulating device designed to move I 5 517. In a piano action a piece of brass or said jack lever toward theaction rail, for the other suitable material interposed between purposesubstantially as described. the lower end of the jack lever and theupper 7 surface of the bottom lever, in combination SAMUEL PERRK' withthe bottom lever provided with a hook, Witnesses: 10 as and for thepurpose described. 0. B. GARDNER,

18. In a piano action a piece of brass or GEO. B. DAVIDSON.

